PluginSift

Groups vs Private groups (2026)

Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.

Groups

Groups

4.8(380)

10K+ active installs

Free

Updated 1 week ago
View Groups
VS
Private groups

Private groups

4.9(49)

1.0K+ active installs

Free

Updated 4 months ago
View Private groups

Quick Verdict

As of April 2026, Private groups has a higher user rating (4.9/5 from 49 reviews) while Groups leads in active installations (10K+ vs 1.0K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. Groups has accumulated 991K+ total downloads while Private groups has 152K+.

Detailed Comparison

Rating
4.8/5Groups
►
Private groups4.9/5
Total Reviews
380Groups
◄
Private groups49
Active Installs
10K+Groups
◄
Private groups1.0K+
Total Downloads
991K+Groups
◄
Private groups152K+
Support Resolution
100%Groups
Private groupsN/A
Last Updated
1 week agoGroups
◄
Private groups4 months ago
First Released
2012Groups
Private groups2014
Age
14 yearsGroups
Private groups12 years
WP Requires
6.7+Groups
Private groupsfalse+
PHP Requires
7.4+Groups
Private groupsfalse+
Business Model
FreeGroups
Private groupsFree
Latest Version
4.1.0Groups
Private groups3.9.7

Rating Breakdown

Groups

4.8/5(380 reviews)
5
91%
4
6%
3
1%
2
1%
1
2%

Private groups

4.9/5(49 reviews)
5
94%
4
0%
3
6%
2
0%
1
0%

Recent Reviews

Groups Reviews

by ninjaneen

Simple access restriction that really works

I’ve been using this plugin for a number of years on our documentation website. I create documentation for all of my clients in one single website, and then I restrict access to the pages so that each

by kahana

Super!

…

by mchilson

Clean simple plug-in that works as expected!

I needed a simple solution for member only pages and this plug-in works great!

Private groups Reviews

by smoothkeyboard62

Granular, well explained, works like a charm

Exactly what I needed. A simple, yet powerful solution. Very well documented inside the Settings area.

by olesuper8

Wonderful Plugin

Just works wonderfully, I’m really impressed.

by acrspf

Very impressed

While testing, I was already impressed with the functionality, then had a minor bug issue and it was fixed within 24 hours with a few emails. Now that’s superb support 🙂 Super plugin that works

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Groups or Private groups more popular?
Groups has 10K+ active installations while Private groups has 1.0K+. Groups is the more widely-used plugin as of April 2026.
Which has better ratings — Groups or Private groups?
Groups has a 4.8/5 rating from 380 reviews, while Private groups has a 4.9/5 rating from 49 reviews.
Are Groups and Private groups free?
Groups is free and Private groups is free. Both can be downloaded from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
Which plugin has better support — Groups or Private groups?
Support resolution data is not available for all plugins. Check each plugin's WordPress.org support forum for current response quality.
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Groups was last updated 1 week ago and Private groups was last updated 4 months ago.

Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.